K-pop stars BTS celebrated their first U.S. performance in four years with a high-profile appearance in New York City, promoting their latest album “ARIRANG.” The boy band, consisting of RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook, took the stage at the SWIMSIDE event hosted by Suki Waterhouse and gave the BTS ARMY members details about their lives, lesser-known facts about the members, and concluded the concert with some exciting performances of their new songs including “Swim” and “2.0.”
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BTS speaks candidly with Suki WaterhouseThis appearance comes a few days after BTS attracted large crowds at their comeback concert at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, where they announced their return after a 4-year hiatus.
Aside from the performances, the group engaged in a lighthearted on-stage interaction that quickly went viral. The band took to the stage to the shouts and cheers of ARMY who gathered in large numbers to watch the show.
The members were also welcomed with a warm hug from Suki.
Suki congratulates BTS
The singer, who became the evening’s announcer, stumbled onto the stage, but RM caught him just in time. “Congratulations to BTS_twt for the amazing album and thanks to RM for catching me when I was about to fall,” she wrote in a post thanking him.
BTS speaks candidly in Q&A session
Suki kicked things off by talking about the new album and the release of the “Swim” music video. When asked if any member hated swimming, Suga initially replied that he didn’t enjoy it, before correcting himself with a laugh, “No no no wait, I don’t hate swimming, I love swimming (he means the song) I just hate water.”
Leader RM, who is nursing an injured ankle, joked, “The members scolded me, saying, ‘Be careful,’ you don’t want to break another ankle,” drawing laughter from the audience. The singer, who recently suffered an injury, missed the premiere in Korea and also the New York City concert.The event also gave audiences a glimpse into the group’s dynamics and off-stage banter. During the conversation, RM revealed that JungKook contributed a catchy vocal to the song “Hooligan” and shared how difficult it was to pull it off in live shows.
Meanwhile, Jimin entertained fans with a cheeky remark, “I always take my clothes off when I get home,” prompting RM to jokingly respond, “He’s always naked,” before quickly adding, “Well… too much info.”RM also shared a candid story about JungKook’s habits during their stay in Los Angeles, where he revealed that the youngest member left his luggage open for two months, forcing others to look around whenever they entered his room.
BTS performing live
The SWIMSIDE event comes as BTS prepares to kick off their world tour. BTS will begin their tour with a concert on April 9 in the South Korean city of Goyang before visiting 33 other cities around the world for a total of 82 concerts lasting until March 2027.
After the first leg of concerts in South Korea and Japan in April, BTS will return to the United States, after which they will head to Mexico, and then to Europe to visit Belgium, Britain, Germany, and France.
